Kesari, Akshay Kumar's period war film based on the Battle of Saragarhi, released on the eve of Holi is banking the festival season and extended weekend to the fullest. The Anurag Singh directorial follows the real-life story of 21 braveheart Sikh soldiers, who fought on the side of Britishers, stood their ground against an army of 21,000 strong Afghan invaders to protect the fort of Saragarhi, a pivotal post between Fort Gulistan and Fort Lockhart.
Like other recent films of Akshay Kumar, Kesari has started strong at the box-office window, clinching the top spot as the biggest opener of 2019, reportedly. It is also Akshay's second biggest opening film after Gold (says Taran Adarsh). The theatre receipts of Kesari have been bolstered by positive reviews from the critics, who are praising it for strong performances, cinematography and slick action sequences. Kesari has opened on a total of 4,200 screens (3,600 domestic and 600 overseas), informs film critic and trade analyst, Taran.
Giving an insight of Day 1 collections Taran tweeted, "#Kesari roars... Sets the BO on fire;... Emerges the biggest opener of 2019 [so far]... After limited shows in morning/noon [#Holi festivities], the biz witnessed massive growth from 3 pm/4 pm onwards... Evening shows saw terrific occupancy... Thu ₹ 21.50 cr. India biz." (sic)
#Kesari roars... Sets the BO on 🔥🔥🔥... Emerges the biggest opener of 2019 [so far]... After limited shows in morning/noon [#Holi festivities], the biz witnessed massive growth from 3 pm/4 pm onwards... Evening shows saw terrific occupancy... Thu ₹ 21.50 cr. India biz.— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) March 22, 2019
Top *Opening Day* biz - 2019...1. #Kesari ₹ 21.50 cr [Thu]2. #GullyBoy ₹ 19.40 cr [Thu]3. #TotalDhamaal ₹ 16.50 cr4. #CaptainMarvel ₹ 13.01 crNote: ₹ 10 cr+ openers.India biz.#Kesari is Akshay Kumar’s second biggest opener, after #Gold [₹ 25.25 cr; #IndependenceDay].— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) March 22, 2019
Film critic Rajeev Masand wrote about Kesari, "What works is the bond between the men, especially Singh’s empathy for the youngest soldier, a 19-year-old who freezes when he faces armed conflict for the first time. There is an overall sincerity in the enterprise, and some genuine skill on display. The camerawork is particularly impressive."
Kesari is expected to do really well over the weekend since there is not much competition from major films. Only Vasan Bala's Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota is opposing Kesari's victory run at the box office as of now.
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